Conveyer system



Jan. 3o, 1934. L.' E. DUPUY 1,945,482

- coNvEYER SYSTEM Filed Nov.` 21,l 19:50

f In verz fr:

Atzfy Patented Jan. 30, v1,934

CONVEYER SYSTEM Louis E. Dupuy, Syracuse, N. Y., assignorto The Lamson Company, Syracuse, N. Y., a lcorporation of Massachusetts Application November Z1, 1930 Serial No. 497,190

4 Claims. (Cl. 198-20) l bodying conveying apparatus-having means for changing the course of travel of articles and also to various means for causing an article to change its course while traveling in such a system.

Objects of the ypresent invention are to provide means for effecting the transfer of articles from one conveyer to another conveyer or to a station disposed either at the same or at .a different level; to provide movable means operable in properly timed relation for electing` the transfer of any particular article as well as yto provide for restoring the movable .means toits normal or inoperative positionafter the desired transfer has been eiected; to provide for transmitting power from a conveyer belt to the movable means for ac- 20 tuatiig the latter to eiect thev desired transfer or change in direction of travel of an article; to provide for actuating the movable..m eans from belt gripping mechanism inproperly timed relation to change the course of an article as the latter arrives at a predetermined point; andalso to'provide apparatus for these purposes having an improved construction and arrangement of parts.

In the drawing; y

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of conveying apparatus embodying means for changing the direction of travel of an article; 1

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of belt gripping `mechanism and means for actuating ,the latter, as' shown in Fig. 1; f.

Fig. 3 is a sectionalview showing the belt gripping mechanism in end elevation and A Fig. 4 is a similar view of avmodiiled portion of the grippingmechanismadapted to engagea cable.

The apparatus selected for illustration in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 comprises a belt conveyer 10 equipped with means for changing the course of'travel of an article here s hown in the form of a deflector 11 which is mounted to pivot at the side of the conveyer at 12 and is movable to a position diagonally across the conveyer for deflecting articles onto a receiving shelf or station 13. A releasable locking means 14 is disposed in position to engage the free end of the deflector llto hold the deector across the conveyer for effecting the desired transfer. This locking means preferably is in the form of a spring actuated lock which engages the end of the deector to hold the latter securely in the position shown until released by a solenoid. A releasable locking means of this type is fully disclosed in my copending application to which reference may be had for amore complete description thereof. A spring 16 is connected to yany fixed support and to the movable deector 11 for returning the latterv to its normal or inoperative position' along side of the conveyer, 'as shown in dot and dash lines.

Belt gripping mechanism engageable with one run of the belt indicated generallyat 17 in Fig. 1 and shown morein detail in Fig.`2 isjmounted 05 for movement longitudinally of the conveyer'and comprises an actuating lever 18 which is mounted to pivot at 19 on a carriage 21 slidable on' a supporting rod 22. The lower end or nose 23 ofthe lever 18 is adapted `to engage the cam surface 24 70 of a lower member 26 which is mounted to pivot on the carriage at 27. As shown more clearly yin Fig. 3, the carriage is lprovided with a ilxed Vjaw 28 and the inner end 29 of the lower movable member 26 yconstitutes a movablejaw which is 'I5 adapted to cooperate with the xed jaw. CThe inner end 29 of the movable member 26 is disposed in spaced relation with respect to the fixedv jaw 28, these parts being normally so positioned that' the lower run of the conveyer belt 10 may pass freely 80 therebetween.. Yieldable means such as the coil springs 31 are connected between the movable member 26 and the carriage 21 so as to urge the movable jaw away from the fixed jaw 27.

The movement of the lever 18l manually or 85 otherwise as described hereinbelow in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig.l 2, dueto its engagement with the cam rsurface 24, ,causes the lower jaw or end 29 Aof the movablemember 26 to move upwardly, whereby the belt is gripped 90 between the fixed jaw 28 and the movable part or jaw 29. This movement locks the carriage 21 to the movingbelt and thus causes the belt gripping mechanism to travel with the belt until vthe operating lever 18 is 95 brought into engagement with an abutment 32 disposed in the path of travel of this lever and preferably mounted to be adjustable longitudinally of the main conveyer for tripping the lever 18 after any desired travel thereof. During 100 travel of the belt gripping mechanism the handle 18 moves through a slot 31 in the receiving shelf 13.

The belt gripping mechanism carries a depending roller 33 which is disposedin an up- 105 wardly facing channel member 34, the latter being disposed transversely of the conveyer and rigidly connected to the movable deflector 11 at the pivotal mounting of this deflector. As the channel member 34 is moved about the axis 110 ofthe pivotal mounting 12 the deilector is moved either to its position across the conveyer or to its inoperative position,depending on direction of movement of the channel bar 34. It will be understood that the abutment 32 is positioned in this instance to trip the lever 18 at the proper time to lodge the free end of the deflector l1 in the locking device v14). Belt gripping mechanism y.

of this type is fully' disclosed in the copending application previously identified herein and to which reference may be had for a morecomplete understanding of the purposes and mode of op-i eration of this apparatus. Y

In its inoperative position the belt'gripping mechanism occupies substantially the position shown in the dot and dash lines shown in Fig.

2 in which it will be observed that the operating.

position against the tension of this spring'when the solenoid 42 is energized. One terminal of the solenoid 42 is connected by a wire 43 through ar switch 44 to a source of.`

electrical energy 46, while the other terminal of the solenoid is connectedl with the source of electrical energy by a wire 47. A delayed action timing device 48, preferably of the type disclosed vin the patent to Spooner No. 1,528,227', is provided for actuating the switch 44. The rotor oi this timing device is supplied with electrical energy through the leads 49 and 51 which arev connected to the mains 52 and 53. The charging solenoid 54 of this timing device is connected to themain 52 by awire 56 and to the main 53 by a lead 57 through a double contact switch 58 andthe wire 59. A similar timing device 61 is provided for actuating the switch 62 disposed in line 63 leading from one terminal of the solenoid lock 14 to the source of electrical energy 46.

The other terminal of this solenoid lock is connected to the source of energy through a wire 64.

y The rotor of the timing device 61 is supplied with electrical energy from the mains 52 and 53 through the leads 66 and 67. The charging solenoid 6 8 (of this timing device is connected to the main 53 bya wire 69 and to the main 52 through the wire 71, double contact switch 58 and the wire '72'.

The timing devices 48 and 6l are so constructed that vwhen actuated simultaneously the device 61 will function to close the switch 62 after the device 48 hasr functioned to close the switch 44.

The push button or double contact switch 58 is adapted to be locatedat some point in the conveyer system remote from the station 13 and the timing devices are set so that an operator may depress the switch 58 and' close the circuits to the timing devices, as an article is passing this remote point. When this article arrives at the proper position to be deflected by the deiiector 11 the timing device 48 actuates the switch 44, thereby energizing the solenoid 42 which causes the belt gripping mechanism 17 to grip the belt.

. This belt gripping mechanism then moves with the belt and carries the deflector to the position shown in Fig. l, in which it is locked by the releasable locking device 14. The timing device 61 is rset to close the switch 62 after the article has been deflected on to the' receiving stationfl `and thus to release the deector 1l after the transfer oi this article so as to permit the spring 16 to return this deflector toits normal or inoperative position. Other articles traveling on the conveyer may therefore be permitted to pass the station 13.

In the knoodiiication of thefbeltl gripping mechanism shown infFig".` 4, the fixed Jaw 28 and the movable jaw 29' have complementary recesses 30 and 30 adapted to receive and to grip a cable should the conveying surface be composed of such cables.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. Conveying apparatus comprising a belt conveyen' movable means for changing 'the course of travel of an article, belt gripping mechanism engageable 'with the belt conveyer for travel therewith, timing mechanismfor 'actuating the belt gripping mechanism after a predeterminedlOO time interval, means controllable independently of the article for vrendering'the timing mechanism effective. and means for transmitting 'motion from the belt gripping mechanism during travel' thereof tothe movable 'means to actuate the latter to change the courseof travel of an article. j y i 2. Conveyingapparatus'comprising a belt conveyer, movable means for changing the course of travel of an article",` belt gripping mechanism engageable with the belt conveyor for travel therewith, electromagnetic*means'for effecting engage- 'ment of the belt gripping mechanism with the belt conveyerfa timing deviceoperable after a predetermined-'time interval-for actuating the electromagnetic means, means controllableby an operator for rendering the timing device effective, and means for transmitting motion from the belt gripping mechanism: during travel thereof -to the movable means to actuate the latter to change the course of travel of an article.

3. Conveying rapparatus comprising a belt conveyer, means 'movable from a first position to a secondrposition' for changing the kcourse of travel of an article, means tending to hold the movable 125 means in the rst position,- beltgripping mechanismiengageablefwith the belt' conveyer for travel therewith, timing mechanism for actuating the belt gripping mechanism after a vpredetermined time interval, means for transmitting motion from the belt gripping mechanism duringl travel thereof to the movable means for moving thel latter to the second position thereof, releasable means effective for holding the movable means in this position, and other timing mechanism operable after a predetermined time interval for releasing the releasable means so that the means tending to holdfthe movable vmeans in the rst position may become effective for returning the movable means toithis position.

4. Conveying apparatus comprising a belt-conveyer, means movable from a rst position to a second position for changingl the course of travel of an article, means tending to hold the movable means in the first-position, belt gripping mechanism engageable with the belt conveyer'for travel therewith, timing mechanism for actuating the belt gripping mechanism after a predetermined time interval,A Ymeans for transmitting motion tem the belt gripping mechanism during travel 150 may become eiective for returning the movable thereof to the movable means for moving the latter to the second position thereof, releasable to hold the movable means in the rst position means to this position, and `means controllable by anoperator at a point remote from the movable means for starting both timing mechanisms substantially simultaneously. v

' LOUIS E. DUPUY. 

